Kurt David Ackerman

ACKERMAN: Kurt David Ackerman/Dovid ben Ephraim haLevi passed away on Jan. 14, 2026, after a two-and-a-half-year struggle with a glioblastoma. While he dearly wanted to live in order to be there with/for beloved family and friends and to continue his work with treasured colleagues, he accepted his situation with remarkable courage and grace. He is survived by his mother, Maude Feist (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida), his sister, Azriela Jaffe (Stephen Jaffe; Highland Park, New Jersey), his brother Joel Ackerman (Terri Ackerman; Commack, New York), his children Sadie (Pittsburgh) and Nathan (Marion Kellogg; Pittsburgh), his grandchildren Erica Sarah (21 months) and David James (on the way), as well as his wife of 38 years, Jane/Shoshana Ackerman (Pittsburgh). He is deeply missed. His family always felt that he put them first, while his colleagues and patients felt that he put them first. Somehow, it seems, he managed to make both true. His love of the Jewish community, as well as other friends, was profound. He was there for everybody in his life, and he strove to make the world a better place. His obituary on Pitt’s Department of Psychiatry website can be accessed at In Memoriam: Kurt Ackerman, MD, PhD | University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry. May his memory be for a blessing. Arrangements were entrusted to Gesher HaChaim. Contributions may be made to Congregation Kether Torah in Pittsburgh. PJC